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Worst holiday for DUI fatalities is the Fourth of July

Based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, there are more DUI fatalities on the Fourth of July than on any other major U.S. holiday. New Jersey residents should know that drunk driving, besides being the cause of many accidents, can land first-time offenders in jail for up to one year in addition to leaving them with fines and higher insurance rates.

DUI crashes on the Fourth of July led to 1,192 deaths between 2010 and 2017. The holiday with the second highest DUI fatality rate was Memorial Day with 1,105 dying on that day during the same eight-year period. After that, the deadliest holidays are, in descending order, Labor Day, New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Also, drivers are 57% more likely to die in a DUI-related car crash on Independence Day than on any other day in summer. For example, 184 people died in DUI crashes during the Fourth of July weekend in 2017. By contrast, an average of 117 die in DUI crashes during a comparable four-or-five-day span of summer days.

Lastly, NHTSA data shows that the Fourth of July has a 43% higher DUI fatality rate when it falls on a weekday. Wednesdays are the worst with a fatality rate of 52, while Saturdays have a rate of 36.3.

Drunk driving crashes form the basis for many a personal injury case. In this state, only those who suffer a serious injury or become permanently disabled can file a personal injury claim, so those who think they are eligible for compensation might want to consult with an accident attorney. The attorney may hire crash investigators to gather proof of negligence against the defendant, which could include the police report and breathalyzer results.